How to Identify Fibers in Fabric
What Are Fibers?
Fibers are the most basic units of textiles that we use in our day to day lives. Fibers are often either natural (derived from natural sources like plants) or man-made (or synthetic).
All fibers that exist today have different inherent properties which affect the fabric's hand or feel, weight, appearance, performance, etc.
Natural Fibers
Derived from natural sources, these fibers are obtained from different sources. Some of them are listed as follows.
Fiber Classification | Fiber Name |
---|---|
Cellulosic/Vegetable Fibers | Cotton, Hemp, Jute, Flax, Coir |
Animal/Protein Fibers | Silk, Wool |
Mineral Fibers | Asbestos |
Man-Made Fibers
Man-Made Fibers are artificially prepared fibers. There are 3 major ways, either through melt spinning, dry spinning or wet spinning. Some of the man-made fibers are listed below.
Fiber Classification | Fiber Name |
---|---|
Cellulosic Fiber | Acetate, Rayon, Triacetate |
Man-made/Synthetic Fiber | Acrylic, Modacrylic, Nylon, Olefin, Polyester, Spandex |
Tests to Identify the Fibers
There are several ways to identify the fibers in the fabric. Some of them are:
- Touch and feel of the fabric
- Microscopic view of the fabric
- Burning test
- Solubility test
Touch and Feel
By feeling the fabric, the fiber in the fabric can be idenitfied. This often requires experience and skill but an estimate of what fiber may be present in the fabric can be made using this technique.
Microscopic View of the Fabric
Each fiber has a different cross-sectional and longitudinal view when it is viewed under a microscope. Through this technique, one can identify how the cross-sectional and longitudinal views are, and then compare with the actual cross-sectional and longitudinal views of the fibers to identify it. Under a microscope the shapes of the fibers are as follows.
Burning Test
This is perhaps the most commonly used method to identify fibers. This usually gives a more accurate result when the fabric is 100% composed of one particular type of fiber. If the fabric is composed of multiple fibers (example polycotton), this test may not give an accurate result, because the component fibers will behave differently.
To do a burning test, take out a couple of yarn strands out of the fabric and using a lighter, apply flame to the yarn strands. Take readings of your observation in relation to the result of the application of flame, the odor when the flame is applied, the characteristics of the flame such as color etc, and appearance of the residue.
The burning characteristics of different fibers are listed below. Compare your results with the table below to identify the fiber.
Fiber | Application of Flame | Odor | Characteristics of the Flame | Residue Appearance |
---|---|---|---|---|
Acetate | Burns quickly | Burnt wood/hot vinegar | Flame is unsteady and difficult to extinguish on blowing | Hard, irregular, black bead shaped |
Acrylic | Burns rapidly and melts | Acidic smell | Smoky flame | Hard, irregular, black bead shaped |
Cotton | Burns quickly | Burning paper | Burns rapidly with a yellow flame | Light grey to charcoal grey ash |
Nylon | Burns slowly and melts | Burnt plastic | Self-extinguishes | Hard, grey bead appearance |
Polyester | Burns slowly and melts | Sweet smell | Yellow/orange flame | Hard, black/brown bead appearance |
Rayon | Burns quickly | Burning paper | Yellow flame | Light, grey ash |
Silk | Burns slowly | Burning hair | Self-extinguishes | Black ash |
Wool | Burns slowly | Burning hair | Self-extinguishes | Brittle, small black bead |
Fiber Solubility Test
All fibers dissolve in a particular chemical solution. This method can be used to validate the presence of a particular type of fiber in a fabric. Some of the solubility test results are shown in the table below.
Fiber | Chemical |
---|---|
Acetate | Acetone |
Acrylic | Dimethyl Formamide |
Cotton | 75% Sulphuric Acid |
Nylon | 90% Formic Acid |
Polyester | m-Cresol |
Silk | 5% Sodium Hydroxide |
Viscose | 60% Sulphuric Acid |
Wool | 5% Sodium Hydroxide |
© 2018 PGupta0919
Comments
KnowYourThings on May 08, 2018:
Thank you for writing this with such details, really helped me understand from the groud up